Chapter One: Horizontal Smelting

  When the weather in the south has entered the hot summer, at night in the depths of Daxing'anling in the north, it still has a temperature of around zero degrees. Especially on the top of the mountain covered with dense forests, the night is as cool as water, and when the mountain wind blows through the forest, it feels exceptionally "cool".

  After the sun sets, deep in the mountains, except for nocturnal animals with thick fur that are still roaming around, far away, it seems like only a few old houses on "Tiger Head Ridge" still emit a faint light.

  It was not until the moon was high in the sky that the oil lamp in the house suddenly burst into a loud "crack" and lit up a flame, at which point Wang Chan slowly opened his slightly closed eyes, got up from the grass mat on the bluestone floor, and let out a series of crackling sounds from every joint in his body, like the sound of stir-frying yellow beans in a hot wok.

  After slightly exercising his hands and feet, Wang Chan took the lamp grass stick and poked at the wick, making the dim light in the hall a bit brighter. He then walked to the front of the shrine and looked at the incense burner that had been lit before he sat down, which was almost burned to the root. Hurriedly, he picked up three sticks of sandalwood incense from the offering table below, lit them with the lamp fire, and reverently reinserted them.

  On the altar is worshipped "Three Realms Conqueror of Demons Great Emperor", also known as Guan Sheng Di Jun, familiar to ordinary people, Guan Yu, Guan Yunchang, the hero of loyalty and righteousness in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. This is his temple, where Wang Chan is the only Taoist priest.

  Because the temple was built at the highest point of Tiger Head Ridge, located in the northernmost part of Daxing'an Mountains, and more than 100 miles away from the nearest village, even though it is already the 21st century, nobody would be willing to go through the trouble of bringing an electric wire all the way up the mountain just for this temple. Therefore, since Wang Chan's time, the temple has been relying on oil lamps for lighting.

  Kneeling on the ground, facing "Guan Lao Ye", Wang Chan knocked his head three times and slowly began his daily chores. First, he went around to the back to check if the fire in the stove had gone out. The mountain was freezing at night, although it wasn't icy, but it was even colder and darker. If there was no stove for warmth, even an iron-clad man couldn't hold on.

  Inside the coal stove over two feet tall, dark red embers emitted a warm and cozy heat. On top of it was placed a large coarse ceramic pot with a small mouth and a big belly. As soon as the lid was lifted, a strong aroma of Chinese medicine wafted out, carrying with it a rich meaty flavor that filled the nostrils, making one's spirit lift instantly. It turned out that Wang Chan had cooked a pot of "Fei Long Tang" (Flying Dragon Soup) using top-grade tonic Chinese herbs and the specialty product of Daxing'an Mountains - "Fei Long Niao" (Flying Dragon Bird), adding a root of wild ginseng from the forest, simmered over low heat before meditation. Now that three hours had passed, half of the water in the pot had evaporated, leaving only the pure essence behind.

  "When the old master was alive, he told me that this flying dragon soup is a rare delicacy in state banquets. In the past, only emperors could drink it, and it's extremely nourishing. Unfortunately, their method of preparation is just for ordinary people to satisfy their appetites, wasting good ingredients. How can it compare to my eight-treasure flying dragon broth made with ginseng, angelica, bear bile, and tiger bone, which greatly supplements the qi and blood, strengthens tendons and bones?"

  "The Flying Dragon" is also known as the hazel grouse, it's not very big in itself, but it's a rare treasure in the mountains. The common saying "dragon meat in heaven and donkey meat on earth" actually refers to the meat of this flying dragon bird. Since ancient times, it has been directly supplied to the imperial palace from the white mountain and black water outside the pass. The taste is delicious and unparalleled. However, after several generations of hunting, the number of wild ones has also decreased to a very low point. Except for occasionally seeing a few in the deep mountains, they are almost extinct outside the mountains.

  He reached out to test the temperature, Wang Chan took a large bowl and carefully scooped out the thick soup from the clay pot. He didn't eat meat, nor was he afraid of being scalded. With one tilt of his head, he gulped it all down, swallowing every last drop. For a moment, he felt a warm air swirling around in his abdomen, spreading warmth throughout his body. Before long, fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and only then did he let out a sigh of relief. He ladled another scoop of cool water into the clay pot to continue simmering.

  And the "cool water" he poured in was not ordinary river water, spring water or well water, but the first snowfall last winter, carefully collected from ancient red pine trees over a hundred years old, melted into "snow water", also known as "Red Pine Water". It has the functions of clearing the heart and lungs, regulating the five organs, eliminating toxins, and is said to be used by the Taoist masters who lived in seclusion in the deep mountains to refine elixirs and brew tea.

  Unlike the domesticated ginseng on the market, wild mountain ginseng of the same age has at least several dozen times stronger medicinal effects. When used to make medicine or soup, it's impossible to extract all its potency in one go. That's why Wang Chan hasn't wasted any wild mountain ginseng over the years, and every time he stews it, he savors the flavor for three meals, drinking it throughout the day.

  When the moon was high in the sky, it was already midnight. Wang Chan slowly gathered his things, tightened his clothes and belt, put on a vest filled with iron sand outside, picked up a two-meter-long black wooden rod used as a doorstop at the temple gate, and then scooped out a large handful of golden-colored "butter" from a large ceramic jar in the cool place in the wall cabinet, carefully placed it in a small earthenware pot carried with him, sealed the mouth and hung it on his waist.

  Finally, he hugged a bundle of firewood and kindling under the big pot outside the temple, lit a fire, boiled a large pot of cold water, saw that everything was in order and there would be no problems, then closed the temple door and jumped out of the courtyard wall.

  Wang Chan's Guan Di Temple is probably the smallest in the world, with only two rooms of earth and stone structure, including the courtyard, covering an area of no more than 100 square meters. One room was used for storage, one for worshiping Lord Guan, and Wang Chan himself never slept at night. Since he was a child, every evening when the sun sets in the west, he would sit cross-legged on the ground to spend the night, half asleep and half awake, and this has been going on for over twenty years.

  As for what real sleep actually feels like, that's already a distant past tense for him.

  At this time, the sky was pitch black, and the only light came from the crescent moon hanging high above. It was a moment when yin energy was at its peak and yang energy had just begun to stir. The cold mountain wind swept through the forest, blowing against his face like a splash of cold water. Wang Chan stepped over the wall that was as tall as a person, his feet seeming to have eyes of their own, not caring about the darkness or the rocky road ahead, he strode swiftly and silently into the mountains, walking for six or seven miles without stopping.

  Daxing Anling is densely forested, stretching for thousands of miles. At midnight, it's naturally deserted, but the dense woods and lush vegetation are home to a multitude of species. Under the cover of darkness, many wild beasts emerge at night to hunt for food. Not to mention the packs of wolves and other large carnivores that make one's blood run cold, even the slithering snakes and insects lurking in the underbrush are enough to make one tread carefully and be on high alert.

  Holding a black wooden stick in his hand, Wang Chan walked while constantly whipping the wild grass on both sides of the road with the stick, and directly entered the mountain behind which was a decades-old natural forest of red wood.

  The ebony rod in his hand was an old object from the temple, its age far exceeding Wang Chan's years. It was nearly three meters long, with one end thicker than the other, but even the thinnest part was as thick as a duck egg. The entire body was straight and smooth, and it was unknown what kind of wood material it was made of. Holding it in his hand felt very heavy, and weighing it roughly, it had at least 70-80 kilograms of weight.

  At this time, when Wang Chan walked on the night road, his posture was not quite the same as his usual normal walking posture. Instead, he had both feet stepping over his knees, alternating between them in a way that seemed like an old cow plowing the land, and also like a child playing with mud. His gait was strange and awkward, but somehow, with each step, his feet were heavy and light at the same time, as if they were creating wind. He walked on the small mountain path without looking at the road, just rushing forward, and in the blink of an eye, he had already taken dozens of steps outside, his speed was frighteningly fast.

  And as he walked, he also shook a three-meter-long, several-dozen-jin-heavy black wooden pole with both hands, one step at a time, one twist and one lift. Amidst the humming sound, he didn't care whether there were weeds growing in front of his feet or rolling stones and branches, and could accurately open and sweep them away to either side of the mountain road, without slowing down his pace at all.

  After walking for nearly half a day, they had walked thirty miles and climbed to the highest ridge behind the temple. Wang Chan stopped in his tracks, and by the starlight and moonlight, he could vaguely see that at the foot of the mountain there was a large river that completely divided the undulating Great Xing'an Mountains into two halves. On the other side of the river was Iman City, Russia, which in Wang Chan's "impression" had originally been Chinese territory during the Qing Dynasty.

  Nowadays, peace is the mainstream, and the country needs stability and unity. Harmony is the overwhelming voice. So all the historical land ownership issues in this place have become a true past tense. Wang Zhan is just a small temple fair in the Guandi Temple, and even now he has not yet registered his household, let alone qualify to ask about the issue that has always troubled him.

  After the border demarcation issue between the original Soviet Union and Russia was settled, several cities along the Ussuri River and Heilongjiang became jointly established border trade ports. Even Wang Chan's Tiger Head Ridge has seen many tourists in recent years, traveling in groups to explore the mountains. However, these things have nothing to do with Wang Chan, who now only wants to honestly practice his temple rituals and master the skills passed down by his ancestors.

  Wang Chan had no father or mother, he was a temple keeper of the previous Guandi Temple, Wang Daliangzi picked him up from a wolf's mouth when he went to the mountain to collect medicine, because Wang Daliangzi believed in Buddhism in his later years, so he gave him the name Wang Chan.

  Wang Chan was just an ordinary person, if there's anything different about him compared to others, it's only that he was born in the mountains and grew up in the mountains, and had diligently practiced his "enduring beating" kung fu for over twenty years.

  On the mountain top, a circle of large trees grew, all of which were red pines with an age of over 200 years. They were layered on top of each other, and the older they got, the deeper you went in. The one in the very center required more than a dozen people to join hands to encircle it. According to Wang Daliangzi when he was alive, this large red pine tree was the ancestor of all the red pines on Tiger Head Ridge, and its age was definitely over 2,000 years old.

  Under this thousand-year-old tree, there is a vacant lot that has been Wang Chan's "training ground" for many years. The ground is made of multiple layers of stone and sticky soil, which have been trampled flat by him over the years. Its solidity is such that even a strong man wielding a large iron hammer would not be able to make it budge in a short while.

  With a rustling sound, Wang Chan took off the bulletproof vest filled with iron sand and threw it under the tree. He then stripped himself completely naked, not even leaving a single pair of underwear on, as at this time, in this deep mountain forest, there wouldn't be anyone else coming except for him, and besides, this was also a habit he had cultivated over the years.

  Wang Chan was not actually tall and large, but appeared short and thin, yet lean and menacing. His entire skeletal system was abnormally thick and robust, with a completely bald head that shone like polished steel. The skin, muscles, and bones on his body seemed to be as rugged and weathered as an ancient pine tree behind him. All of his muscles were constantly tense, as if they were about to burst out in all directions like a radiation explosion. Each muscle fiber was as thick and sturdy as several strands of steel wire twisted together, with a texture that seemed to have been forged from pure steel and tempered to perfection.

  And this is precisely what makes his body, at a glance, not very much like the flesh and blood of a normal human being, but rather like an "iron man" that has been cast in the shape of a human being with copper and iron, and then carefully polished with fine sand thousands of times.

  Wang Chan took the golden-colored butter in his palm and rubbed it open, slowly and carefully applying it evenly to every inch of skin on his body, making sure not to miss a single spot. He was practicing the authentic Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Cultivation Technique, which emphasizes "internal training of one breath, external training of tendons, bones, and skin". This step of applying butter medicine oil all over the body is one of the most necessary steps in cultivating this technique.

  Unlike other practitioners of hard qigong, Wang Zhan's fundamental approach was not to use medicinal oils and wines that promote blood circulation and remove stasis in the ordinary sense, but rather a secretly transmitted "Vajra Ambrosia". According to Old Man Wang who raised him, this secret formula was obtained by him when he was in Mongolia, during the looting of a famous lama temple, from an old living Buddha lama who was widely revered by local herdsmen, and it is a secret that is not transmitted outside of Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism.

  It is a type of butter that requires great effort to make, and its effects are a hundred times more miraculous than any medicinal wine or oil. Before practicing qigong, apply this butter all over the body, where the medicinal properties penetrate the skin, muscles, and bones, even reaching the internal organs and skin membranes, promoting blood circulation and removing stasis, which is only a small part of its functions. The most powerful thing about this Vajra Butter is that it can penetrate both internally and externally, melting away all obstacles, and after prolonged use on the muscles, bones, and skin membranes, it will make the user's body stronger and more resilient, with a perfect balance of hardness and softness.

  In many Buddhist scriptures, there are examples of believers and monks who, through the power of a great master, were anointed with sacred butter and instantly achieved enlightenment, transforming into Vajra Guardians with hard bodies that could not be defeated when exerting their strength, and soft as cotton after releasing it. Their strength was boundless, able to fly in the air, throw elephants, and split tigers and leopards, all said to be due to the use of this secret Vajra butter.

  This thing has a strange origin, and the various formulas used to make it are not lacking in precious medicinal materials that many people have heard of. Especially in recent years, human footprints have spread across the entire globe, and the reckless waste of resources has led to the extinction and disappearance of many species. Take the two most common Chinese medicines in this secret formula, tiger blood and bear bile, for example. For the vast majority of people outside the mountains, they are already things that only exist in legend.

  Not to mention that the most important ingredient in this golden elixir also requires the use of mountain ginseng that is over 300 years old.

  If it weren't for Wang Chan growing up deep in the Daxing'an Mountains since childhood and having some extraordinary skills that ordinary people can't match, these medicinal materials would be absolutely priceless if put outside, a sky-high deal. It's almost impossible for ordinary people to get them, just like a pipe dream.

  He smeared butter on his body, and Wang Chan began to rub his palms vigorously. At first, the speed was extremely slow, like an old ox breaking a cart, but then it gradually accelerated. His hands moved back and forth like lightning until both palms were bright red, like hot irons. He suddenly let out a low growl, separated his hands, changed his movement, and began to slap himself repeatedly with his open palms flying up and down.

  At first, he could still see his two palms alternately patting different parts of his body, each place was a burst of nine palms, crackling and popping. Later on, the movement gradually accelerated, and in the moonlight, only a dazzling array of hand shadows could be seen, covering every inch of Wang Chan's body surface. And Wang Chan's body also changed with it, rising and falling, advancing and retreating, still standing motionless on his feet, but his long arms seemed to have lost their bones, whether it was the top of his head or the soles of his feet, or even his back and spine, he had beaten them all.

  It was as if dozens of blacksmiths were working together in a furnace, clanging and hammering away, the sounds echoing back and forth, impossible to count, filling the quiet night air for miles around.

  The butter applied to the surface of his body melted slowly as it was patted, and after about half an hour, Wang Chan's forehead began to show sweat beads, making his entire body shiny and oily, emitting a strange and peculiar aroma unique to butter, which made people sniff it and immediately feel refreshed and invigorated, like they had just been baptized with holy water.

  No matter what kind of butter, it is solidified into a lump under low temperature conditions. Wang Chan uses this Vajra Butter to apply all over his body, and then uses the thirteen Taibao horizontal stir-fry's patting technique to continuously pat and squeeze, which can maximize the absorption of the medicinal properties in the butter. This allows the Vajra Butter to penetrate evenly into every corner of the body in the shortest time possible, and after a long time, it will make one's skin and bones stronger and more resilient.

  After a while, the butter on his body had all melted away. Wang Chan suddenly let out a loud shout, like a tiger roaring in the mountains. His two large hands no longer simply slapped his body, but instead turned outward, practicing a set of fist and palm techniques - sometimes slapping with his palms, sometimes striking with his fists, sometimes clawing with his fingers, even head-butting, back-pressing, knee-striking... His body moved swiftly and erratically, changing direction around the perimeter of the martial arts training ground, leaving onlookers' eyes dazzled and confused.

  A set of punches came and went, striking dozens of times. The butter on his body was gradually absorbed clean, and then a large amount of water vapor emerged from the pores of his skin, white and misty, as if a thick fog enveloped his body. Wang Chan finally let out a long sigh and slowly withdrew his hand. He shook off the sweat dripping from the top of his head.

  After this exercise, his whole body's energy and blood circulation were unblocked, all four limbs and hundred joints had been exercised. Looking at the time, it was almost the hour of Yin, today's practice was also completed.

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  New book uploaded, everyone please support! Also, this chapter has been revised and the protagonist's role is connected with Zhen Dao's!!! Hehe!!!